Assembly kit for three dimensional works

Abstract

Kits designed to stimulate creativity, to provide exercise for fine motor skills, and to improve spatial perception. The kits may be useful as a stimulating “toy” for children to develop creativity, spatial perception and motor skills, as a therapeutic kit for the elderly or those requiring rehabilitation of fine motor skills; as a diversion to relieve stress, to create unique works for the home or office, to display photos and memorabilia, and for a host of other purposes, limited by the imagination. The kits include at least shaped components, fasteners, and a platform onto which a three-dimensional work is mounted.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A kit for assembling a multi-level, three dimensional work comprised of a plurality of components of the kit, the kit comprising:
 a plurality of shaped components, each component having a through-hole, a length, a width and a thickness, the through-hole having a perimeter completely within the component and penetrating through the thickness of the component; 
 a plurality of fasteners each having a shank portion sized to fit through the through-hole of a shaped component, and configured to lock together vertically spaced-apart shaped components, each of the plurality of fasteners having a male connector at a first end and a corresponding female connector at a second, opposing end, wherein the plurality of fasteners are configured to connect to each other end-to-end to thereby provide combination fasteners of fixed length increments; 
 a plurality of spacers, the spacers configured to mechanically engage either end of the fasteners, the spacers each having a central through-bore configured to receive an end of a fastener, each spacer comprising bore protrusions in its through-bore for engaging corresponding grooves recessed along a shank portion at both ends of a fastener such that engaging spacers may be held at predetermined positions along either end of an engaged fastener by corresponding bore protrusions and recessed grooves, and each spacer having a support surface configured to abut against a surface of a shaped component to support vertically spaced-apart stacked shaped components and to maintain separation between adjacent vertically spaced-apart stacked shaped components in an assembled multi-level, three dimensional work; wherein a support surface of a first spacer mechanically engaged on a first end of a first fastener supports a first surface of a shaped component, and a support surface of a second spacer mechanically engaged on a second end of a second fastener supports a second, opposing surface of the shaped component, when the male connecter of the first fastener is received by the female connector of the second fastener; and 
 a platform for mounting the multi-level, three dimensional work thereto. 
 
     
     
       2. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shaped components are white and further comprising a plurality of coloring materials suitable for applying color to the plurality of shaped components. 
     
     
       3. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped components are transparent or translucent. 
     
     
       4. The kit of  claim 3 , further comprising light emitting diodes and optical fiber, the optical fiber carrying light from the light emitting diodes to at least some of the plurality of shaped components in an assembled multi-level, three dimensional work. 
     
     
       5. The kit of  claim 4 , further comprising a controller programmed to play light displays via the light emitting diodes. 
     
     
       6. The kit of  claim 5 , further comprising a sound chip providing an audio accompaniment to the light display. 
     
     
       7. The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising any one or more of a sound chip, a sound sensor and a motion sensor, the motion or sound sensor activating the sound chip in an assembled multi-level, three dimensional work. 
     
     
       8. The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising base fasteners configured to secure the three dimensional work to the platform, the base fasteners having a non-circular cross section. 
     
     
       9. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of a first fastener of the plurality of fasteners frictionally engages a second end of a second fastener, and the first and second ends are mechanically locked together upon twisting the first fastener relative to the second fastener, with appropriate force. 
     
     
       10. The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising light emitting diodes and optical fiber, the optical fiber carrying light from the light emitting diodes to at least some of the plurality of shaped components in an assembled multi-level, three dimensional work. 
     
     
       11. The kit of  claim 10 , further comprising a controller programmed to play light displays via the light emitting diodes. 
     
     
       12. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fasteners comprise fasteners configured to lock together vertically-separated shaped components such that the locked together shaped components are in parallel planes. 
     
     
       13. The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising blanks for a user to cut and create shaped components. 
     
     
       14. The kit of  claim 8 , wherein a first end of a base fastener is configured to frictionally engage a second end of a fastener of the plurality of fasteners, and the first and second ends are mechanically locked together upon twisting the base fastener relative to the fastener of the plurality of fasteners, with appropriate force. 
     
     
       15. The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of end caps, each end cap configured to engage and cover an exposed end of a fastener in an assembled multi-level, three dimensional work. 
     
     
       16. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fasteners comprises press-twist fasteners.